Of Power and Fools
by Tuulikki
Summary: A Gozaburo fic? Yes, just that. A short look into the head of one of the most hated characters in YGO, taking place a couple of years before his death, on one night after work.


This used to be a songfic, but as you most likely know by now, songfics have been banned from fanfiction net. Note to all songfic writers: go remove the lyrics from your fics now before they are deleted. I was one day late in finding out about this new rule – andthe original version of this fic was removed within 24 hours after the announcement. Not that I'd care; the only thing that made me a bit angry is that I _would_ have done something about this if I just had been given a little time. (And at least I would have saved my reviews…)

Anyway, won't start ranting about that here. You read the summary right, this ex-songfic is about our dear Gozaburo Kaiba. Cause we all love him and there are too few fics about him! …okay, I'm joking. I just wanted to see how easily I'd get into his head – and it wasn't easy. Writing about twisted characters every now and then provides quite interesting challenges…

One more thing, I don't like that title. Not at all. But I guess it's better than 'Untitled'…

The original story with lyrics is at mediaminer. My username is the same there.

**Disclaimer:** Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, and I am not he.

* * *

**Of Power and Fools**

One more day over. One more day, full of work with incompetent, plainly put stupid people… finally over.

I could almost thank god for that… that is, if I believed in him. If one more of those idiots had come to ask _me_ how to do _their _work, I don't know what I might have done… why do they think I've hired them in the first place? It's a little wonder they get anything done without checking with me first.

I walk to my drinks cabinet and pour myself a glass of Scotch. I really need it today. With the glass in my hand I walk to the balcony and sit down by a table, watching the darkening city.

Then there are those, of course, who don't ask anything, who think that they know what is the best course of action in every situation…

Idiots, all of them. Why does it have to be so difficult to get competent employees these days? It shouldn't be too hard just to keep quiet and do what you're told to do - and _nothing _more.

I take a slow sip of my whisky. Oh well, they do learn, most of them, with time… but in the beginning they just drive me mad. And if they don't learn…

Another sip.

I can always get rid of them, one way or another. There's no room for fools in my company.

Fired one of those today, actually. The rest can be glad they didn't follow him straight away… I just hope that they'll remember this… 'example', and take heed of it.

That boy _might_ have had potential. At least, he was full of new, 'progressive' ideas. He just didn't have the right kind of personality for business world. Too trusting, sympathetic, and… simply naïve. I kept an eye on him from the beginning, I knew that he might cause problems one day. Good thing I checked through, every now and then, everything he did and found out about those projects of his in time… All his ideas weren't that bad, but the way he was handling things…

I shake my head as I pour myself a new glass. That boy's never going to be anything.

Anyway, even if he _had_ handled everything right, he exceeded his authority to a great extent doing it all on his own… He tried to explain something, of course, when I fired him. I think that the fool had wanted to surprise me with a successful new project…

I can't help but snort amusedly. I've been a CEO for a long time, and lived even longer, and I've always hated surprises.

I stretch out my hand and grasp the remote control from the table. Flipping the music on I lean back on my chair and close my eyes as I listen to it. Old classics, there's nothing like them, and will never be. It is strange, how the capabilities of mankind seem only to be reducing as time goes by, in every area.

I turn the volume a little louder and the music fills the air, drowning under it all the noises that come from the streets. Just me and the music… if I could decide, nothing else would be needed in the world.

All those... _parasites_... Yes, I think that that word describes them perfectly. Vermin, in the all meanings of the word; vultures, flocking around those who are prosperous, trying to get a chance to snatch something for themselves… and when they are chased away, they raise hell about it.

I don't have patience for them. I do what I can with those who come to me, but if there are those who cannot be helped, they can leave right away. I don't have time for them.

Those people… they'd want to get as much as they can without having to do anything.

Fools, fools, fools…

Impudent fools.

I clench the glass tighter in my hand.

That they _dare_…

They cannot accomplish anything on their own, but still they want to gather the fruit of other's labours… and when they are put back to their place they start complaining. Hn. As if it were possible to complain… not to me anyway. If they were smart, they'd just stay quiet when they're dealt with, but then, of course… if they were smart, they wouldn't end up in problems in the first place. Being fools, they cannot stop their idiocies in time, and so…

Oh well, they have just themselves to blame. If they get too troublesome there are always more… permanent ways to deal with them. Ways that will keep them quiet, that's guaranteed.

I worked my way to the top. And believe me, it was hard work. Combine a war-disabled, bitter father and a mother, who works every day in a little shop with five kids, and you will not get a very high standard of living. Everything I've gained, I've gained on my own. Of course, when I started from the bottom, I had to do my share of crawling, but at least I did it with intelligence, so that it was fruitful. …not that I'd like that memory, though…

I…

"Kaiba-san!"

I frown a little when I hear the voice from under the balcony. Competent security… that would be something, too.

"Kaiba-san, I know you're up there! Please, I have to speak with you… Please?"

I suppress a sigh. What the hell's taking them so long?

"Please, I need this job, Kaiba-san, I… I'm sorry of what I did, just give me another chance and I promise it won't happen again. I didn't mean any harm…"

No, of course you didn't. Do you really think I didn't know that? Inone gulp I empty the glass. Hmmm… I'm drinking fast tonight… Already a second glassful down… For a moment I stare at the glass in my hand. Beautiful work, handmade. And old. They don't make glasses like this anymore.

"Kaiba-san!"

"Okay, you there, turn around and keep your hands where we can see them…"

Finally.

I turn the glass a little, examining it from a different angle. Beautiful, how the light reflects on it…

"Kaiba-san…!"

With a sigh I place it on the table. Fools, they never know when the game has ended.

I turn the volume of the music even louder and concentrate on it. The guards take that young fool away, I think he's still shouting something, but I ignore it as I amabsorbed by the music.

Beautiful music, it lets me imagine that I am somewhere far away from this craziness, in another time, when men were still men, not mice… nor rats, lice or fleas…

I snap my eyes open as I realize that my head's starting to nod and that I'm about to fall asleep. Hmm… Third glass of whisky sounds quite tempting, but I think it's time for me to go to sleep. Otherwise I might end up falling asleep here, and sleeping out isn't good for my health. I'm not that young anymore.

Luckily. Young people are always such fools. Young…

Oh, damn, I almost forgot him totally. With a yawn I take a glance at my watch. Quarter to midnight… Yes, sleeping is a good idea for all of us. I get up and walk inside.

Now, that boy… _he_ has potential. Lots of it. Unlike those second-raters who flock around me… The thought that I might have had to leave my company to someone like _them_ is enough to make me shiver. This boy has potential, he can be something. And he'll get it all – not free, of course not, he has to earn it – but at least he'll get it without having to crawl through that shit I had to. I will teach him never to crawl.

I'm a little surprised when I realize that I'm already standing behind his door. I guess I was so deep in thought I didn't notice where I was walking. Quietly, I push the door open.

As I enter the room I see the boy sitting by the table, still tied to his chair – of course, how else? – bent over a book.

I frown a little. "Haven't you finished yet?"

He gives a little start as he hears my voice and my frown gets deeper. Never show your surprise. Never _be surprised_ in the first place.

He turns to look at me, dark circles under his blue eyes. "Yes, I have, Gozaburo-san. I'm reading it again."

I nod. "Good. And have you understood what you have read?"

He nods again. "Yes, Gozaburo-san."

"Good." I release him from the chair and he gets up stretching himself a little. "Come to my room tomorrow at six thirty, and we'll see what you've learned before I go to work. Now, go to sleep."

He nods once more and I turn to leave.

"I…" I hear his quiet voice behind me and I glance at him over my shoulder. "What?"

"I… Nothing, I'm sorry." He drops his eyes to the floor, but for that short moment I met his gaze I saw the tired question in them. _Why…?_

I turn again and leave the room. You'll understand one day.

Now it is time to sleep.

-

It is really annoying.

I am tired, I _really_ am tired, but I just can't sleep.

Once more I think how much I hate the night.

It makes me feel small. Lying alone in my bed, staring at the ceiling, knowing that somewhere above there is the vast space… is, has always been, will always be… I am nothing more than a little moth compared to it.

I hate feeling small.

And this silence… I hate this silence, too. I'd want to fill it with music, but… no. I'll just deal with it.

It is beautiful in its own way, this silence, so peaceful… but in it everything can be heard so clearly, all the sounds, both real and imaginary… All those voices, echoing in these walls, silent at daytime. I'm glad that the wind is silent tonight, at least… It always carries even more voices with itself… angry, pleading, desperate… all circling around the house, trying to get in…

I hate them.

But I can deal with them.

They will not get me down, never.

Morning will come, once more, as it always has, and bring again a new day… a day, in which I am not small.

It will come…

If only I could sleep…

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**A/N:** Btw, if someone's interested, the song I used was Maija Vilkkumaa's _Satumaa-tango_ (a Finnish song I translated into English). Fits him quite well, at least in my mind. "Sä olet röyhkeä ja rietas, sut täytyy hiljentää" (You are impudent and lecherous, you must be silenced). 

Anyway. All comments are very muchly appreciated.


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